Effect of microwaves combined with peracetic acid to improve the dewatering performance of residual sludge.

The activated sludge process plays a crucial role in modern wastewater treatment plants. During the treatment of daily sewage, a large amount of residual sludge is generated, which, if improperly managed, can pose burdens on the environment and human health. Additionally, the highly hydrated colloidal structure of biopolymers limits the rate and degree of dewatering, making mechanical dewatering challenging. This study investigates the impact and mechanism of microwave irradiation (MW) in conjunction with peracetic acid (PAA) on the dewatering efficiency of sludge. Sludge dewatering effectiveness was assessed through capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF). Examination of the impact of MW-PAA treatment on sludge dewatering performance involved assessing the levels of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), employing three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy. Findings reveal that optimal dewatering performance, with respective reductions of 91.22% for SRF and 84.22% for CST, was attained under the following conditions: microwave power of 600 W, reaction time of 120 s, and PAA dosage of 0.25 g/g MLSS. Additionally, alterations in both sludge EPS composition and floc morphology pre- and post-MW-PAA treatment underwent examination. The findings demonstrate that microwaves additionally boost the breakdown of PAA into •OH radicals, suggesting a synergistic effect upon combining MW-PAA treatment. These pertinent research findings offer insights into employing MW-PAA technology for residual sludge treatment.

[Emission Factors of Carbonaceous Aerosol and Stable Carbon Isotope for In-use Vehicles].

Vehicle exhaust is an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols; of which, the emission factors and stable carbon isotope composition are important basic data. In-use motor vehicles of different types were selected to conduct dynamometer tests using different test cycles and under cold/hot start conditions. The exhaust of each test stage was collected to analyze the carbonaceous components and stable carbon isotopes and to discuss the influencing factors. The total carbon emission factors follow the order:heavy-duty diesel vehicles>light-duty diesel vehicles>light-duty gasoline vehicles. Although the emission factors of light-duty natural gas vehicles were very low at the low- and medium-speed stages, they were similar to those of heavy-duty diesel vehicles at the high-speed stage. The emission factors of cold start were higher than those of hot start, and the emission factors of the NEDC test cycle were lower than those of WLTC (which should be related to the driving speed). The emission factors of organic carbon (OC) of gasoline and natural gas vehicles were much higher than those of elemental carbon (EC) in every test stage. The emission factors of OC and EC of diesel vehicles were similar. The OC/EC of all types of vehicles increased with the increase in driving speed. Stable carbon isotopes in EC were higher than those in OC. The stable carbon isotope in different vehicles follow the order:light-duty gasoline vehicles

Efficient Preconstruction of Three-Dimensional Graphene Networks for Thermally Conductive Polymer Composites.

Electronic devices generate heat during operation and require efficient thermal management to extend the lifetime and prevent performance degradation. Featured by its exceptional thermal conductivity, graphene is an ideal functional filler for fabricating thermally conductive polymer composites to provide efficient thermal management. Extensive studies have been focusing on constructing graphene networks in polymer composites to achieve high thermal conductivities. Compared with conventional composite fabrications by directly mixing graphene with polymers, preconstruction of three-dimensional graphene networks followed by backfilling polymers represents a promising way to produce composites with higher performances, enabling high manufacturing flexibility and controllability. In this review, we first summarize the factors that affect thermal conductivity of graphene composites and strategies for fabricating highly thermally conductive graphene/polymer composites. Subsequently, we give the reasoning behind using preconstructed three-dimensional graphene networks for fabricating thermally conductive polymer composites and highlight their potential applications. Finally, our insight into the existing bottlenecks and opportunities is provided for developing preconstructed porous architectures of graphene and their thermally conductive composites.

Hierarchical mesoporous cobalt silicate architectures as high-performance sulfate-radical-based advanced oxidization catalysts.

Self-sacrificial biomass-derived silica is a rising and promising approach to fabricate large metal silicates, which are practical water treatment agents ascribed for easy sedimentation and separation. However, the original biomass architecture is difficult to be maintained and utilized. Furthermore, sufficient ion diffusion pathways need to be created to satisfy massive mass transport in large bulk materials. Herein, a series of metal silicates, including cobalt silicate (CoSiOx), copper silicate, nickel silicate, iron silicate, and magnesium silicate, are synthesized from Indocalamus tessellatus leaf as the biomass-derived silica source and investigated as catalysts in sulfate-radical-based advanced oxidization processes (SR-AOPs) for the first time. Among them, CoSiOx presents an analogical sandwich structure as a leaf-derived template of micron-level size. More importantly, the interior hollow nanotubes assembled by small nanosheets provide numerous pathways for ion diffusion and remarkably promote the mass transport in such large bulk materials. Owing to the combination of the unique structure with the high reactivity of Co (II) toward peroxymonosulfate, CoSiOx exhibits excellent catalytic performance with 0.242 and 0.153 min-1 rate constants for the removal of methylene blue and phenol, respectively, which outperforms/is comparable to that of the reported nanomaterials toward organic contaminants in SR-AOPs.

Similarities and differences on complications after cranioplasty with two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital shaping titanium meshes / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Patients with cranial defects undergoing cranioplasty can develop complications related or unrelated to repair materials. OBJECTIVE: To explore the differences and similarities between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital shaping titanium meshes for cranioplasty. METHODS: The clinical data of 221 patients with skull repair were retrospectively analyzed. Two-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh was used in 61 cases, and three-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh used in 160 cases. Postoperative complications related (including exposure of titanium mesh and nail and loosening of titanium nail) or unrelated (including refractory subcutaneous effusion, epilepsy, scalp necrosis, scalp infection, intracranial infection and intracranial hematoma) to repair materials were summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were 14 cases of complications (4 related and 10 unrelated) in the two-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh group, including 2 cases of intractable subcutaneous effusion, 7 cases of epilepsy, 2 cases of titanium mesh and nail exposure, 2 cases of titanium mesh and titanium nail loosening and 1 case of scalp infection. There were 17 cases of complications (0 related and 17 unrelated) in the three-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh group, including 5 cases of refractory subcutaneous effusion, 9 cases of epilepsy, 1 case of scalp necrosis, 1 case of intracranial infection and 1 case of intracranial hematoma. Significant differences in the complications related to repair materials were found between the two groups (χ2=5.577, P=0.018). Overall findings suggest that the craniotomy with three-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh can cause fewer material-related complications than that with two-dimensional digital shaping titanium mesh.

Pyridostigmine bromide phospholipid complex nanoemulsion: Correlation between dissolution in vitro and absorption in vivo / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To investigate the correlation between in vitro release and in vivo absorption of pyridostigmine bromide phospholipid complex nanoemulsion (PPNE) by Loo-Reieglman method. Methods PPNE was prepared and dynamic penetration system was used to analyze its in vitro release. The plasma concentration of pyridostigmine bromide was determined by HPLC after oral administration in rats. Loo-Riegelman method was employed to calculate the in vivo absorption percentage (Fa). Then the regression equation was established between absorption percentage and cumulative release. Results The regression equation was set up as follows: Y=1.376 9X-47.543 2,r=0.9411 (P<0.001). Y represented in vivo absorption percentage and X represented in vitro cumulative release rate. Conclusion There is a significant correlation between in vitro release and in vivo absorption of PPNE.